Different or Not
by Moth Mask
Summary: Between his banishment and a mysterious illness, Zim needs someone to rely on. Who would've thought he'd turn to Dib? More than ZaDF, less than ZaDR. Finally done
1. Tears

Different or Not

Moth Mask

Rated K+

"How different could they really be? Who cares what they say? Less than ZaDR, but more than ZaDF. Currently being rewritten."

I do not own anything but the plot. Oh, and I've got a "50th Anniversary" edition 64-pack of Crayola Crayons, with the sharpener built into the box. Pretty awesome, huh? ;)

**Hello, anyone who may be reading this. I've decided to re-write "Different or Not". After reading over the first chapter, I'm frankly shocked that people enjoyed it. I couldn't get through the chapter before shaking my head to myself and saying "What the hell was I thinking!". The story was very rushed, which explains why I stopped. I could hardly enjoy reading it myself, much less writing it! Therefore, I'm going to write it over, and improve it. Also, PLEASE don't ask me to do certain things with the plot. I already have this planned out (more or less), and it's kind of disappointing to find that the readers are so divided by what they think I should do ._.**

_~Tears~_

_..._

_"Beaches are a stupid idea"_, Zim thought as he looked out the window of the Skool Bus. He watched the human-larvae playing among ground-up rocks known as "sand". Other hairy Earth-children splashed around in an ocean of what was little other than acid to the green onlooker. Zim sighed. He was feeling moody. Then again, if your leaders sent you on a fake mission, lied to you for two years, then finally told you that you're useless, banished and should have died, I expect you'd be moody, too. "What fool arranged this trip of fields? This is definitely NOT a field."

"What do you have against beaches, _Zim_?" Questioned a particular big-headed human. "Unless you're an _alien_ who's allergic to water! Admit it, Zim! I know the truth! And someday, everyone else will know, too!"

Zim growled as the human seated next to him babbled about his delusions of victory.

"...And then I'll be famous! I'll never be called crazy again! The world over will know my name! I'll put an end to all those jerks who think Paranormal Investigation is a joke! I'll show them!"

After several minutes of this, Zim decided that he'd had enough. "Shut _up_, Dib-stink!" He yelled at the human. "I don't care! Nobody does! The stupid inhabitants of this dust-ball care about what you say as much as they care that I'm here! Even if you did catch me in a cage and open my guts, which you _won't_, but if you _did_, people would just find some way for it not to be true! Humans only hear what they want to. You know this! So why don't you shut up and try to enjoy the last measly decades of your useless existence, instead of trying to prove something to a group of creatures who don't care if they're all killed off today or tomorrow or never!"

The bus quieted at this latest outburst from the strange green child. The silence was short-lived, of course, and soon paper airplanes and conversations were once again thrown wildly about the clunky metal box.

Dib stared at the alien next to him, shocked. Not shocked about Zim yelling at him. That much was perfectly normal. What had surprised Dib was what Zim had _said_ (or shouted, rather). While it wasn't uncommon for Zim to mock the human race, he rarely ever said anything so... accurate. So mind-numbingly obvious that most of the people around them had just dismissed it as nonsense. After all, how could _they_ be stupid or useless? They were at the top of the world, in every sense of the phrase. Dib tried to remind himself of these things, but something stopped him. Not only had Zim's words been unusually veracious, but his tone was different. He had almost sounded defeated. Almost, but not quite. Mingled in with all of his anger at Dib, Zim seemed preoccupied, as if he was using yelling at Dib to vent another frustration.

"What's your problem?" Dib asked, trying to sound annoyed instead of concerned. "You're acting less human than you normally do."

The Irken whipped his head around, and looked at Dib. He didn't glare, just studied his long-time opponent. "The Dib-beast is showing concern for me?" He asked. "Why should you care if I am acting unusual?"

Dib facepalmed, half in annoyance at himself for not hiding his intentions better, and half at Zim for such an obvious show of stupidity. "Because you're an alien invader trying to take over my planet?" He offered. "That's a pretty big reason. If you're acting unusual, it probably means you're plotting something."

Zim sighed. "No, no more plotting. There is nothing left to plot, foolish Dib-stink." Zim looked out the window again, noticing that the parking lot for the beach was getting closer.

"What do you mean 'no more plotting'? Zim, what the heck are you talking about?"

The Irken looked back at Dib. His face was a mix of annoyance and sadness. "Don't you get it, Dib-stink?" Zim growled quietly, so the other students wouldn't hear. "There is nothing left to plot! It's over! I'm-" He stopped mid-sentance, his gaze lowering to the dusty floor of the bus. "I'm no Invader. I've been banished. There's nothing... nothing left... to plot..."

Zim's eyes squinted shut. His jaw clenched, and he could feel himself trembling all over. He knew his Pak was losing control. Admitting defeat was a strange thing for any Irken to do, and this was doubly true for Zim. His emotional filter was struggling to keep up with the new rush of sensations going through him. He was running out of energy, both physically and mentally. Just as the Skool bus stopped in the beach's parking lot, Zim no longer had the energy to stay upright. He fell to the side, his head leaning heavily on the window. The Irken struggled to stay conscious for just a moment longer...

"Zim!" The other children rushed off the bus, eager to play in the water. Nobody noticed two crazy kids, one panicked and the other fighting off his exhaustion, trying to stay focused on the quickly-blurring form beside him.

"Dib…" Zim whispered hoarsely. "Help…"

And with that, his eyes slipped shut.

...

**I hope this turned out better than it's predecessor. I'll try to re-make the other chapters this weekend. I might even be able to get chapter six up once I finish. Depends on how much time I spend playing "The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind" ;)**


	2. Nightmares

Different or Not

I do not own Invader Zim. If I did, it would probably start looking like an angsty, overly-dramatic anime. Dib is grateful I don't own IZ, I'm sure.

a/n

Firstly, sorry it took me a week to update this. I didn't get a chance to go on a computer until now, and of course the DSi can't upload a document to , considering it can't even create, much less save a document. Excuses aside, I hope you're not mad at me for not updating.

Skelli: Don't let her fool ya'! She's just lazy.

-_- Yes, that too.

Secondly, Thank you, all who reviewed! I wuv you all! To answer some questions…

50-States:

Zim passed out because, as it said, "He was running out of energy, both physically and mentally". As for him asking for help, you'll have to wait and see ;)

darkwish03:

I'll admit, he was a bit OOC there. I originally planned to make this a oneshot, but I was outnumbered ;P I'd been trying to fit it all in a oneshot, without making it too long (Although looking at it now, it seems kind of short).

Thirdly, 50-States asked for ZADR. Should I? Either way would be fun for me to write, but what would you like to read? I'd like to know.

Skelli: Now before she starts rambling unnecessarily, I'm going to move this along. Enjoy chapter two!

"talk"

'think'

_**dream**_

Dib ran. He ran as fast and as long as his legs could handle, and then he ran some more. Of course, the unconscious alien in his arms didn't help the matter.

"Come on, Zim." He whispered, "Hang on."

The irken moaned in response, causing Dib's panic to worsen. He pushed harder, running without watching where he went; His focus was on Zim. Dib was sure his enemy was going to die. 'Why should I care?' He asked himself. This thought stopped him. 'Why do I suddenly care about Zim? He's unconscious! I could take him home and dissect him right now! Just as he was about to turn around, Zim let out another painful moan. Dib took off running again, in the direction of a certain green-glowing house. He ran right past the robotic lawn-gnomes, hardly giving them a chance to shoot in his general direction before he burst through the front door.

Gir glanced over at Dib from his perch on the couch. "HI, BIG-HEAD!"

Dib winced at the android's high-pitched voice. He glanced down at Zim, who was squirming in his arms. Dib set the alien onto the couch beside Gir. "Gir, I need you to be really quiet, ok? Can you do that, Gir?"

"OKAY!" He screeched. He then ran into the trash-can elevator, screaming something about "playing with Dr. Octogamapus and the Dancing Banana"

Dib looked down at Zim, wishing he'd wake up, and wishing he knew why he didn't just open up the irken then and there.

…

"_**No… Stop… please…"**_

_**Two huge rocky pillars rose from the ground in front of him, each with a shadowed figure on top. He knew these two to be Tallest Red and Tallest Purple.**_

"_**You failed, Zim." Red screeched from his still-growing tower. "You're a disgrace! Why didn't you just die!" His voice was high and grating, like pieces of metal scratched against a blackboard.**_

"_**I didn't… I wasn't trying to…" Zim whimpered sadly.**_

"_**You killed them! You killed Tallest Miyuki, and Tallest Spork! You ruined Operation Impending Doom! You sent Irk into darkness for a combined 9 years!" Red continued to list everything Zim had done wrong. Purple just stared coldly at Zim.**_

"_**You destroyed two Control Brains during your existence evaluation! It's a crime against the Empire!" Red hissed furiously at the small irken.**_

"_**You are a criminal, and you will pay for all you have done!"**_

_**The sky turned the color of dried blood; a deep, dark red. Suddenly, Purple jumped onto the platform with Red. The pillar he had previously been standing on fell.**_

"_**Goodbye, defect," Red called in a mockingly sweet voice. "Have fun in the dust!" They both cackled cruelly as the pillar fell, fell, fell, down on Zim.**_

…

"GAAAAAAA!"

Zim felt pressure on his chest. 'It's so dark… a-am I…?' He whispered hesitantly, "Am I dead?"

His eyes began to focus. What he saw shocked him. He was in his living room, his wig and contacts sitting on the end table. Out the window, he saw that it was nighttime. When he looked down, however, he realized what was causing the pressure he felt.

Dib, still with his glasses on, was sleeping on top of him. The human was drooling a bit, the water-based saliva seeping through the irken's shirt, leaving a slight tingling sensation on his skin.

Zim hissed in irritation at the disgusting Earth-beast. He struggled to pull himself out from under Dib, but eventually gave up, seeing as Dib was quite a bit bigger, and had him pinned down.

Zim sighed, all anger gone as he remembered his dream. Of course, the Tallests hadn't said all that, but they might as well have. Zim sighed again, feeling tired. He decided, after squirming around a bit to get more comfortable (as relative a term that is when one is squished under his drooling enemy at half-past midnight on a tiny couch), to go back to sleep. Perhaps tomorrow would be better.

a/n

Yaaay! Finished the second chapter! Yeah, this might end up a ZADR whether you want it to or not ;) Not like I have much of a choice how it turns out, anyway. The story decides for itself what it wants; I only give it a place to start. Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Accurate

Different or Not

I don't own Invader Zim. Unfortunately. If I did, Nickelodeon would receive a swift kick in the shin.

Also, I don't own "Parade" by Voltaire, although it is a very awesome song, and I wish I could claim to have some involvement with it's creation.

a/n

Waaah! I'm so sorry! I took even more than a week this time (by a day or so, but more is more)! Weekly is about as good as I can get for now, though. Unless mom shares her computer more often (*staring at my mom to emphasize this point*). I love you all for being patient with this story! Anyway, it's Question Answering Time!

Invader Kit:

Tallests Miyuki and Spork were Red and Purple's predecessors. Spork, Miyuki's successor, was killed accidentally in the same way as Miyuki, both by Zim. You can learn more about it by reading the script for an unmade episode, "The Trial". You can find it wherever the scripts are online.

Okay, one reviewer asked for ZaDF instead of ZaDR. Sorry, but from the way I have things now, that'd be really difficult. After seeing how many people wanted ZaDR, I started thinking out how to put it together, and I have the basic outline of the rest of the story now. It'd look really awkward if I tried altering it to be ZaDF, so I'll just do my best to make it not suck ^_^" Maybe I'll make a ZaDF fic another time. Sorry again to that reviewer.

Skelli: On with the show! Or fic. Whatever.

"talk"

'think'

_music_

'Ugh. Where am I?'

Dib looked up. Everything was blurry. He vaguely made out the shape of his glasses on the end table nearby. He noticed that he was covered with something.

'A blanket? Am I home? All I remember is passing out at Zim's house. Maybe I walked home and didn't remember it?'

He took his glasses from the table and put them on. Now Dib could see where he was, and he didn't like it one bit.

"What! Why am I here?" Dib shouted, jumping off the couch he'd been laying on. "What's going on here?"

He stopped yelling when he heard something he hadn't noticed before. There was music coming from the kitchen. Dib peeked around the doorframe to see Zim, seated at the same table from the waffle incident. The alien was out of disguise; his large magenta eyes were half-closed in boredom. He tapped a finger in rhythm to the song that was being played over his PAK's speakers. In his other hand, he held a silver-colored can bearing the Irken's symbol. He didn't seem to notice his unhappy guest for a minute, but when he did, he broke into a large grin. His still half-closed eyes, paired with the smile, gave him a devious expression.

"Hello, Dib." He said. Dib jumped a metaphorical foot at this. He was found!

"Uhm… Hi, Zim." The human expected to be thrown out as a plaything for the gnomes, but it never came.

"I've been awake since before your pitiful sun rose. I was… thinking. About my future. I have no mission, so there's no sense in trying to take over earth anymore. I only wanted Earth for the Empire but now that I'm…" Zim choked up a bit, but clenched his teeth and continued. "Now that I'm here permanently, I have no need for your disgusting dustball. You are now free to live out your remaining decades without worrying about alien takeovers."

Dib couldn't believe his ears. He won! By default, more or less, but it was still a victory in his book. It all sounded far too good to be true! 'But wait… This is…'

Dib started to laugh. It began as a quiet chuckle, before escalating into an almost maniacal giggle. Zim twitched an antenna in confusion.

"What is funny, Dib-worm?" Zim asked once Dib had calmed down a bit. "Did Zim not just guarantee your planet's safety? Shouldn't you be grateful to Zim?"

Dib looked at the Irken across the room from him. "Are you serious? You've got to be joking. This is ridiculous!"

Zim, realizing the issue, returned to his original bored face. "Of course Zim is serious. I've got no reason to lie now. Do you think you'd still be here if it were a trap? I had you defenseless. Asleep on my couch! If I wanted to finish you off, I would've then. I may not be the most competent, but I'm no idiot."

Dib was taken aback. His long-time foe was making sense for a change. "You… You're serious?" He asked warily. "I swear, if this is another trick-"

Zim raised a hand to silence the boy. The alien looked rather uncomfortable as he looked to one side, his brow furrowed. He rubbed the place his nose would be, if he had one, and coughed slightly. "This is no trick, Dib. I meant every word." Zim's gaze trailed back to the human now seated before him, and he resumed the sly grin he had begun with.

It was Dib's turn to feel awkward. He shifted under Zim's unblinking stare. "So… Is that it? It's over now, right? I can go now?"

Zim's smile only seemed to widen. "Not quite, Dib-stink. There was another thing I had considered early this morning."

The music that had been playing over Zim's PAK speakers changed. The song started slow and quiet, almost creepy. Soon enough, a semi-deep male voice filled the air.

_You know it's true. We're both the same._

_In a storm of words we get lost in what is said._

"Zim, what are you-"

Dib was interrupted mid-sentence. "Shh. Listen."

_You know me._

_And you see through me._

_So why are you confused by the things I say and do?_

_Do you know me?_

Dib relaxed a bit at the calming tune. He was beginning to understand.

_You see the strain upon my face._

_Please don't rain on my parade._

_It comes too light, it comes in waves._

_It's gone too late._

Zim smiled. He looked calmer than usual. Happier.

_It goes astray._

_It goes too far, and you say,_

_it's clear I know where all your buttons are._

_It's not so strange, you know, it's not so queer_

_that I know they're there_

'_cause I'm the one who put them there._

_Exactly as you feared._

The music flowed through the room, calming the two listeners and unwinding truths that had always been ignored.

_I know you. And I see through you._

_So why am I confused by the things you say and do?_

_I don't know why._

_I see the strain upon your face._

_I won't rain on your parade._

_It comes too light, it comes in waves._

_It's gone too late._

_Don't steal the smile from off my face._

_Please don't rain on my parade._

_It comes too light, it comes in waves._

_It's gone too late._

The song lapsed into an instrumental verse, during which Dib had time to reflect on what he'd heard so far. 'Maybe…' He thought, "Maybe we're not so different."

_I know that I can't replace you._

_And it would be a lie to say that I_

_could ever try._

_Don't steal the smile from off my face._

_Please don't rain on my parade._

_It comes too light, it comes in waves._

_It's gone too late._

_You see the strain upon my face._

_Please don't rain on my parade._

_It comes too light, it comes in waves._

_It's gone too late._

_It's gone too late._

_It cuts two ways._

_It cuts two ways._

_It's gone too late._

The two sat in silence for a while, neither quite realizing the song was over. Dib was first to break the silence.

"So… It's over?"

Zim smiled lopsidedly at this. "Yes, to some extent. Don't think I'll leave you alone, though."

"Definitely." Dib agreed, flashing his own grin. And they shook on it.

"Why did you play a song, instead of just talking?"

"'It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.'. Mark Twain, yes?" Zim recited as he stood.

"How do you know about Mark Twain?" asked Dib.

"I pay _some_ attention in Skool." Zim said with a wry smile. "Besides, Zim didn't _have_ more than three weeks. Only a morning." And with that, he walked away.

a/n

YAY! I finished! I just get warm fuzzies when I finish a chapter ^.^ Sorry for any OOC-ness in this and any following chapters. Then again, ZaDF and ZaDR themselves are OOC by definition. Ah well, you know what I meant.


	4. Friend

Different or Not

Ok, so this is where the story turns a bit angsty. I'm sorry to those I may disappoint, but this story will have some ZADR, and the ending may not be very happy. There won't be lemony-ness, but there will be some displays of affection (can't call them PDAs, since they're not really public). I will not ask you to keep reading this if you don't want to, but I won't pretend that this story's going somewhere that it isn't. To change it now would make it look extremely awkward (well, more awkward than it already might be). If you dislike ZADR or if you don't read stories without happy endings, I would recommend you not to read this or any following chapters, as both will begin to show in the next two chapters. Again, I'm sorry for any disappointment.

On a happier note, it's time to answer the questions and/or comments of my wonderful reviewers! I love you all!

Kitsune: I wasn't aware that I'd used a cliffhanger. ^_^"

Ok, time for the fanfic!

Dib glanced over at the Irken next to him. Zim was watching the TV, as they both had been for the past hour. The couch was the same shade of purple as it normally was. Gir was cooking something strange in the kitchen, like he normally was. A commercial for Bloaty's Pizza Hog blared on in the background, just as it normally did. But things were anything but normal in that little green townhouse.

For one thing, Dib was there. He wasn't sneaking and spying, and he wasn't being held captive. He was welcome there, and that was an oddity in and of itself, considering how Dib was rarely welcome in anyone's house, _especially_ in Zim's. For another thing, Zim was watching television. He rarely did that, except for watching the news when he wanted to gather extra information. And for a third thing, Dib and Zim weren't fighting. This may have been the strangest thing of all, as there were no mutant hamsters to battle, and no horrible things fused to their DNA. Even when those things _did _happen, they were still often at eachother's throats.

At that time, (although neither of them would admit it, being the stubborn creatures they were) they were actually enjoying eachother's company.

But even though the two finally seemed to be at peace, Dib was still a bit uneasy. There was something odd about Zim. He seemed to be deep in thought. Now this wouldn't have usually been so odd, but the only time Dib had ever seen Zim thinking this hard was… Well… Actually, he had never seen him thinking this hard. Zim was staring intently at a point right above the TV, but he didn't seem to actually be looking at the screen anymore. He cupped his face in his clawed fingers. The Irken was biting his lower lip, and his eyes seemed… distant. Like he was staring at a point far beyond the wall.

For a while they sat like that; Dib watching Zim as Zim watched nothing. Several minutes later, Zim snapped out of his trance, and looked over to Dib.

"Why are you staring at me?" the Irken asked.

"Huh?" Dib was startled; he had fallen into the same kind of daze as Zim. "I was watching you?" he asked, confused.

"Yes. Or were you asleep with your eyes open?" Zim replied, raising a nonexistent eyebrow.

Dib became a bit muddled in his thoughts. "Um… well… no, but you were, um… You were staring at the wall, so…" Dib trailed off, shocked at his own befuddlement.

Zim raised his other brow, then lowered them both in concern. "What has caused this strange behavior? Are you ill, Dib-beast?"

"N-no! I'm fine! Why, were you worried, alien scum?" Dib replied with a grin, instinctively reverting back to childish taunting to save face.

Zim only looked more confused at this. "Well, yes. We are now… What was it? Ah, yes! We are "friends", as you earthlings call them, yes?"

"Um, yeah. I guess since we're not really _enemies _anymore, we're probably friends." Dib replied, nodding.

"That's good." Zim said. He relaxed a bit, but something still seemed off about him.

Dib hesitated for a moment, before deciding to ask. "Zim? Are you all right? You're acting strange." He had a brief moment of Déjà vu, before realizing he had asked Zim the same thing on the bus the previous day. Right before he had passed out. The thought of the alien falling unconscious twice in two days sent Dib into a state of mental panic. He tried not to let his worry show, but failed. Zim could see the fear on his face, and his own eyes widened.

"No. Oh, no, it's happening again, isn't it?" Zim was obviously trying not to freak out. "Dib, I can't explain much right now. There's no time, but Dib… I'm sick, Dib." The Irken's eyes began to shut, and the steady rise and fall of his chest showed that he was soon asleep, No amount of yelling on Dib's part could seem to wake Zim up, and he soon gave it up and went to sleep himself.

a/n

Yay! I finally updated! YAY! I'll try not to be so super late from now on.


	5. Voices in the Dark

**Different or Not**

a/n

I felt bad about not updating in a while, so I decided to write this. I usually think about what I'm going to do before I start typing a new chapter, but I'm completely winging it this time. Sorry if this one isn't as good, but I didn't think it through at all, and I'm not sure where It'll start, or go, as I type this. I just didn't want to wait any longer. I hope you like it.

…

"No. Oh, no, it's happening again, isn't it?" I looked at my newfound friend with fear. "Dib, I can't explain much right now. There's no time, but Dib… I'm sick, Dib." And with that, he fell asleep. As I'm sure you can guess, I panicked. 'It's just like before! It's happening all over again! What's going on!' Everything raced through my mind at insane speeds. I'm no expert on irken physiology, but passing out twice in two days can't be great for anyone's bodily functions. I tried to wake him up through the time-tested method of yelling and shaking the unconscious Irken. Zim must be one heck of a deep sleeper, because he didn't even stir after fifteen minutes of screaming my head off and shaking him like… like something that you shake. Yeah.

Anyway, after a while I gave up, figuring that his PAK was keeping him asleep for whatever reason. I sat back and thought about what he'd said. 'What does he mean he's sick? Sick with what? Is it contagious? Is it lethal?' After that last one, my traitorous brain took me on a tangent, giving me some particularly disturbing mental images of what might happen if Zim had caught certain diseases, the most disgusting being leprosy. Eventually, my creepy thoughts became creepy dreams. I won't get into it, but I'll tell you this: It is not fun to imagine what an Irken might look like with late-stage necrotizing fasciitis.

I woke up later, and looking out the window, realized that it was late. Probably about 10:30 or so at night. I briefly wondered if Gaz or my dad were worried about me not being home in two days, but I quickly dismissed the thought. Dad was at some science convention in Nunavut, and Gaz would probably be able to guess where I was, if she actually cared where I went. As long as I'm there for family night, and I stay away from her bedroom, I'm ok.

I looked at the couch, and saw that Zim was still asleep. I sighed. He vaguely resembled a kitten, curled up like that. Although he looked like a bug more than anything. Big, single-colored eyes, green skin, antennae. Even his uniform reminded me of a bug for some reason. He was like a praying mantis, a beetle, a roach, an ant and a ladybug all mixed together. I sighed again, and looked back down at him. Everything had changed, all in two days. I had almost forgotten about that day, so recent, but feeling so distant. The day that changed everything. Well, really it was just that moment. All it took was a conversation, and two years of hatred were flung out the window. That scared me a little, to be honest. It only took a few sentences to change the course of a life. The world could be a very different place if people would speak honestly instead of lying or fighting. I shivered, imagining how much nicer things could be if humans weren't always out to get more than their money's worth.

I leaned back, letting the plush cushions nearly engulf me. If I had been much smaller, I would've disappeared into the magenta fabric. My mind flashed back to Zim's most recent episode. 'What's going on?' I asked myself. 'Why me? He could've chosen anyone else as his friend, but I'm the one who ends up stuck with him.' A voice in the back of my head answered me. _**'He knows you. How could he trust anyone he doesn't know?'**_'You again.' I thought bitterly. 'I thought I got rid of you months ago!' _**'You can't get rid of me, Dib. I am part of you. To be rid of me would do you as good as to be rid of your arm. You can't function properly without me. You would be as insane as your classmates claim you to be.'**_'What do you want?' _**'**_**I **_**do not want **_**anything. **_**It is you who wanted the truth, yes?Well, I have come to give it to you. You ask why Zim chose you? Well, who else would he choose? You're the only one he knows well, and therefore the only one he can bring himself to trust. He probably needs you the same way you need me. Without you, what would he be left with? A number of dysfunctional robots, an Empire that doesn't want him and no sense of purpose. Perhaps...'**_The voice trailed off, seemingly uncertain of how to proceed. 'Perhaps what?' _**'You may need him as well. I'd bet you could replace me with your alien friend. Why not try? He's probably more pleasant to talk to than a voice in your head.'**_Said voice abruptly disappeared, leaving only his words to smolder in my head. I growled at the invasion of my thoughts by that... well... I'm actually not sure what the heck he is. I've looked at every possibility I could find, but nothing seems quite right. I know he isn't a disease, and I know I'm not crazy. All I can thing to call him is a voice. maybe a conscience?

I thought over what the voice told me. 'Is he right? Do I really need Zim? Why would I?' These questions echoed in my mind until I traded my awareness to the late night and slept.

...

I wrote up to chapter 4, didn't look at it for a day, then finished it today. I have a newfound love of AbiWord. :) I hope that conversation made sense. Dib was pretty much arguing with himself. The bold/italic part is the "voice", and the regular is Dib. Hope you enjoyed it, because It was probably the improvisation chapter I've ever done. Actually, it's the only improvisation chapter I've ever done. But that's not saying a whole lot, since I've written a total of 6 chapters between both of my stories. Don't worry, I'll fix that :)


	6. Illness

**a/n**

**Gah! It's been too looong. ;.; I totally lost all motivation to finish this, but I feel like I have to. So I will. Also, about the whole ZADR/ZADF thing, I think I'll actually stick with ZADF. I don't have the patience nor the motivation to keep this up long enough for them to form a believable relationship.**

**"speak"**

**'think'**

Zim's eyes flickered open wearily. "What... What happened?" he asked, trying to sit up.

"Zim!" The Irken turned to see Dib rushing towards him. "Lay back down! You just passed out again."

"Oh," Zim replied.

Dib frowned, obviously not finding this answer satisfactory. "Why does that keep happening? It can't be healthy."

Zim sat up on the couch, making room for his human friend. "No, it isn't. I told you before, I'm sick. This is just the physical effect of my illness." Waved Dib over, and the human sat on the free cushion on the couch.

"So what is it?" Dib asked. "The flu? Necrotizing fasciitis?"

"Necro-what?"

"Ah, nothing. So what are you sick with? I'm sure there's a treatment for it. of course, the hospital isn't an option for you... But maybe I could find something online-"

"Dib," Zim interrupted him, "It isn't something human medications can fix. Even Irkens haven't found a cure for it, and we're far more advanced."

Dib frowned again. "What do you mean? There has to be a treatment or something."

Zim sighed. "It's not that simple. It's a problem in the coding of my PAK. Rather than adapting to unusual situations, my PAK will tell me to find the easiest way out. When I go against this command, like I did on the bus, there is a physical toll. Besides that, My emotional filter is hyperactive. Any emotions that are disallowed by the Empire are supposed to be filtered out. Not only does my PAK filter them, but it drains my strength. It's almost like a penalty."

Dib raised an eyebrow. 'Well, that explains a lot,' he thought. "So that's all? It doesn't seem too bad. Annoying and inconvenient, but..."

Zim sighed again. "Dib, this is very dangerous. If I go too far out of line, all of my strength could be sapped. My squeedilyspooch will cease function. Do you know what that means?"

Dib paled. "Squeedilyspooch? That's... That's one of your organs, right?"

"Yes," Zim said. "It actually preforms the functions of several of your human organs. The squeedilyspooch is like lungs, a heart, a liver and a stomach all in one. If that stops working... It wouldn't be good."

Dib nodded. "Y-yeah..."

They sat that way for a while, before Zim jumped down from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Dib asked, following his alien friend.

"I'm gonna make breakfast. Are waffles okay?"

Dib smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good." 'Might as well enjoy what I have while I have it.'

And, with Gir's help, of course, they made a batch of misshapen waffles, drowned them all in syrup, and loved every minute of it.

**Very short, and probably not worth the three-month wait, but it hopefuly explained some things. I'm thinking that this will need two or three more chapters for the ending I was planning. Sorry for the delay and all the jumping around, but let's think of this fanfiction as... an experiment. Yeah.**


	7. Together

The next several weeks passed in relative peace. The weather gradually chilled, and before long, the air had taken on a crisp, clear quality. The sleepy fog (or smog, rather) that filled the city sky in autumn had cleared away, and only a few dark, wispy clouds remained. Cicadas buzzed in that peculiar way they did, and owls hooted intermittently. The world was quiet, clean, and natural so early in the morning, before the sun rose. Silence had descended on the odd green-and-purple house. With good reason.

Dib had tried for several weeks to ignore Zim's declining state. The alien was grateful for those weeks, as his state was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The blackouts were becoming more frequent, and his strength and memory were failing him. And, even through all the smiles and waffle-making, it was obvious that their days together were numbered.

Even so, Dib pushed on. He continued to help Zim through his fits of unconsciousness, continued to clean up Gir's messes. Dib was the house's last pillar of strength, and he knew it. He was the last thing holding them together. The boy tried – he tried very hard – to not dwell on that fact. It wasn't easy.

Everything served as a reminder for him. Every time Zim had trouble lifting something, or even standing, it reminded Dib that his enemy-turned-friend was almost gone. Every time Gir accidentally blew something up, or the robo-parents fell to pieces, Dib was reminded of how little stability was left. The last time he had seen a calender, he'd thrown it away. It reminded him too much of how long it had been since he had left that house; Gir would always do the shopping, so Dib could be there if Zim needed him.

Dib couldn't bring himself to be angry, though. He had given up everything for the past several months, all for the alien he'd once sworn to destroy. Right? _'No,'_ he thought to himself, _'I didn't have anything to give up. You can't loose what you never had. All I did was trade one life for another.'_

And the human couldn't deny that he liked this new life a heck of a lot more. Before, it had been the same ridiculous thing again and again. Surrounded by the morons in "Skool", nobody to care about him at home, only scorn wherever he went. Now, he had something _real._ Now... He had a friend. And even if that friend didn't last into the next morning, Dib was glad that he had had one at all. Despite how everything seemed to be wrong, he was happy.

oOo

One day, Zim had commented on how neither of them had been in Skool for a long while. He'd asked if they should go the next day, but Dib said no.

"Why would we?" he had asked. "It's not like they care what we do. At this point, they've probably forgotten us."

Zim chuckled. "Maybe we're a ghost story now. I can just imagine all those dirt-things telling stories to eachother about the two freaks who disappeared."

They'd had a good laugh about it, but it was a bit sad to dwell on, because of how true it must've been. The two had been outcasts in every sense of the word. Whether in their "homes", or in Skool, they would not be missed. And it was just as well to them; if the others didn't care, so be it. It only meant that they could spend as much time together as possible. And, really, that's all either of them needed.

_oOo_

"_The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed."_

_Carl Jung (1875 – 1961)_

**A/N** **Ohgod, I'm so sorry ;_; I haven't updated since January...I've wanted to move on to other ideas for a while now, but I couldn't bear to do that before finishing this. So, I've found a good stop for it. Hopefully, you like this chapter, even though it's short and late ^_^;;;** **I think it's safe to say that I'm done with this. I had originally planned to make this a character-death, and have an epilouge songfic-scene to "Graveyard Picnic" by Voltaire, but I couldn't bring myself to kill him... So I did this. Please don't hate me for this ;_;** **Well, I think I'll go now, because this has dragged on for long enough. ^_^ I hope you liked it~**


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